Door-operating mechanism



Feb. 14, 192s. 1,659,029

B. JULEN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Aug, 2, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 14, 1928.

B. JULIEN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 2. 192s 4 sheets-Sheet 2 mm im l mmh JM Feb. 14, 1928.

B. JULIEN DOR OPERATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed ALIBZ. 2, 1925 Feb. 14, 1928.

B. JULIEN Y DooR OPERATING MEGHANISM Filed Aug. 2, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lllmfl'lml .Pai-@med Feb. 14, 192s.

` UNITED STA Anientenroi'ioiviiiw A p cHicAGd-iLLiNois, A

g p 1,659,029 rss PATENT lorries.

JiiLiiiN, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA, AssIGOR TofoAMEL coMPANY, oF

conroRATioN or iLLiNois.

noonornnnriive MECHANISM.

'Application ined vAugust 2, 1923-. serial No. 655,267.

This invention relates to improvements'in door operating mechanisms.

Heretoitore great dihculty has been eX- perienced in opening andclosing the sliding side doors of box or other house type' ot cars on account ot' the tendency of the A'doors to become jammed or stuck. This is especially the case where doors of heavy con struction and supported by either overhead or bottom tracks are used, the tracks and coacting bearings becoming corroded due to exposure to the weather during continued service, thereby offering undue resistance to the movement of the doors,inaking the opening and closing thereof extremely diifcult. lu' practice, it often happens, therefore, thatthe men in charge ot opening. and closing the doors are compelled gto use crowbars; or other tools to start the opening thereof and to torce the same to closed ]iosition, consc quently, seriously damaging the doors and requiring frequent `and expensive repairs. One object-ot' the invention is toprovide a simple and relatively inexpensive devic which can be applied to doors of the type above indicated and which will have effective and easily-operated means 'for starting the opening of the `doors and'which will also draw the doors to tightly closed position.

Another object of the invention is to pro lvide a door operating mechanism for opening and closing doors, which will readily acconin'iodate itself to such variations as may occur in the nianut'acture and assembling of the parts, and to such distortionas may'occur in service.

ln the Idrawings forming a. part of this speciiication, Figure l is a side elevational view ot a portion ot a carrshowing one ein bodinient ot the invention in connection therewith, the same illustrating a double side door eonstructioiuparts'being broken a way to better accommodate the view to the sheet. Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 2%2 of Figure l. Figure 3 is a vvertical transverse sectional view corresl'ionding substantially to the line 3-3 ot Figure l. Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to the line of Figure 3; Figures 5 and A6 are enlarged detailed sidegan'd edge elevational views, respectively,'ot a inodilied torinfoli latch member adapted torus-e connection with the embodiment of theinvention shown in Figures 1 dto 4inclu'sive. Figure 7 kisa side elevational view of a portion of a car illustrating a different i. embodiment of the invention in connect-ionwith a singlefdoor construction, parts being broken away to better accommodate the view to the sheet. Figure 8 is a horizontallongitudinal 'sectional view corresponding substantially to the line S-S of Figure 7. Figurc'Q is a vertical sectional. view `corresponding sub- `sgantially to the line 9-9 of Figure?. Figure 1.0 is a vertical sectionalfview corresponding substantially to theline 10`10of Figure 9. And Figures 11 and l2 fare ,de-

tailed side and edge elevational. views, re-

spectively, ot a modified to 'in ot latch inem* her adapted to be used in connection with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 7 to 10, inclusive. o f In `said drawings, referring `first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in F iguresl tod, inclusive, in which the invention is shown in connection rwith a double sliding side door construction, 20, indi- Cates the main door and 21 the auxiliary or smaller door of the usual double sliding door arrangement of a box or house` car. In the forni shown, the doors are of top-hung `type provided with the usual roller brackets having rollers riding upon` a track supported at the top ofthe door opening. The

auxiliary door is provided at the front end t.lie1eolwith` the usual sliding 4door post 22 having means at the` vupper andilower Vends thereof for preventing the front edge of the door fromv being sprung-j outwardly, comprising-castings 23 secured respectively to the upper and lower `end portions ot' the post and co-operating with brackets 24 secured respectively to the doorlintel'and the -tioor boards of the car, the casting 23 and the bracket 24C at the lower end ot the door only being-shown in the drawing. f The casting' and bracket herein ilhistrated` are of Vusual and well-known construction, theL casting 23 being bolted tothe lower end ofthe post and provided witha T slot co-operating witlithe T head on the bracket 24, the 'latter being suitably .secured to a floor board The inter-engaging T slots and heads prevent lateral movement oli' the roiitedge ot Athefdoor when in -closed position. The east- `ing isy also provided with a stop lug 2G adapted to coact with theT head ofthe bracket to limit the closing movement of the llO door 2l. Means is also provided on the auxiliary door 2l for latching the saine in closed positionin this instance being' shown as a vertically slidable rbolt 26., The front or adjacent'edges of the doors 2O and 2l are protected by the usual metal covering, the door 2O being provided with an angle section 27 and the door 21 being provided with an angle sectionf28.

j The improved door operating mechanism, as illustrated in igures l to 4, inclusive, comprises, broadly,a housing A; ay slidable bar B; an operatingY handle C', av sector gear D; anda latch member E.

' The'housing is preferably in the form of a box-like casting having spaced outer and inner side walls 29 andO, relatively narrow iront, rear and top walls 31,32 and 33,and a short bottom wall extending rearwardly troin'tiie'tront wa'fllSl. rhehousinef'li is orovided with suitable perforated ears 35, 36 and 37 by which it is secured tothe door 2l. The

ear is'in the form of a central projection extending rearwardly from the wall l0 and the ears 36 and 37 are each in the forni of spaced parallel members vextending kromthe outer and inner side walls 29 and 80, respectively, united at their trent edges b a strengtheninc' web. As is clearl 1 own l in Figures l and the door 2l is suitably "recessed, as indicated at 38, to receive the housing A, the recess 38 being of such a dept-h that' the outer 'face of the outer side wallof the housing lies iiush with the outer surface oi" the door, with the front end ot the housing extending beneath the outer member of the angle section 28 and the front end engaging` the inner tace of the member of the angle section e:-;tending along the front edge of the door. ri`he housing all is rigidly secured to the door 2l by a bolt 39 passing tlnfough the doorand the lug 35 yand a pair of bolts l0 extending through the post 22, angle plate 28 andthe respective lugs 36 and 3T. y

rlhe bar B is slidably mounted within the housing A bearing on the outer and inner Side walls 29 and 30 and is guided on its upper `edge by the top all 33. rlhe frontand rear walls oi the housing are provided with .alined openings Lll and l2 adapted to accon'nnodate the opposite ends ot the bar for sliding` movement, the lower horizontal edge walls oi the openings acting as guides for the lower edge ot' the bar. Additional guiding means for the lower edge' ot the bar l is provided by an inwardly. projecting` short `flange i3 extending from the -trent wall 8i of the housing adjacent the opening 41. The bar B is provided with a i`head l2 at the front end thereof.y the angle section 28 and the door being suitably recessed, as indicated at 441, to accommodate the same, so that when. the bar is in its extreme retracted position, the front end face of the T head will `and the `T head will abut lie flush with the front faceot the angle section 28 and the angle sections 27 and 28 may be brought into fiat abutting relation 'the section 2T when the doors are'closed. kv@ne of the arms ot' the 'l' head 42 is extended outwardly beyond the tace or" the door, providinga pinlilte member 44 integral therewith and adapted to be engaged by the latch E. The lower edge ot the bar B is provided with a ratchet /l with which co-operates the sector gear D. i

'llhe sector gear D is iXed to the operating handle C and is adapted tobe rotated by the latter to reciprocate the bar B, the upper end of the handle C being provided with a lateral pivot extension 46 having a relatively vlarge cylindrical bearing portion 47 adjacent the handle journaled in the boss 48 on the side wall 29, a relatively smaller cylindrical bearing portion i9 near the opposite end journaled in the boss 50 oit the sidewall 30 and an intermediate portion 5l of square cross section adapted to tit within a square opening 52 ot' the gear l). rihe intermediate .square portion of the lateral extension 4G is of such size incross section as to ireely pass through the bearing opening in the boss 48 and bear on the inner side of the wall 30 immediately adjacent the opening inthe boss 48, the diagonals of the square cross section thereof being preferably equal in length or shorter than the diameter of the cylindrical portion di', and the sides of the square cross sectional. portion being preferably each of a diamo ter equal to, or greater than, the diameter oi' the cylindrical portion 49. it will be evidentthat with the parts thus constructed, the handle C and the gear D may be readily assembled withink the housing by placing the gear between the side walls ot the housing with the opening 52 thereof alined with the openings in the boss-es, and

inserting the square portion ot' the pivotal rpivotal extension is provided with a reduced threaded portion adapted to receive a nut 53. The operating handle lever C extends through the open bottom of the housing A and has its swinging movement in a clock wise direction limited by engagement or" the front edge et the gear sector D with the beveled upper .edge 68 of an upstanding flange 69 on the short lower wall Sel of the housing. The operating handle lever C is Sil antenas ypreferably offset to space the hand-grip p orf tion thereof the proper distance from the outer side of thedoor to 'give sufficient clearance for the operators hand. Where ythe operating handle cannot be given they proper ainouiitof.olfset'due to restrictions as to the overallwidth of the car, I kpreferably hinge the handgripto thel handle proper,

and, as clearly shown inl Figuresv 3 and 4, the lower end of the handlevproper is provided with a tongue 55 on which the handgrip 56 is pivotally mounted, the latter having its upper end slotted to receivefthe tongue 55, thereby providing a pair of lugs 57 receiving the pivot pin 58 passing through the tongue 55 at right angles to the axis of rotation kof the operating handle.

' To limit the outward swinging movement end of the plate being secured to the door by a seconddaolt, or rany other suitable means. The portion-of the bolt which eX- tends through the plate and the door is reduced in diameter thereby providing a bearing yportion of relativelylarger diameter on which the 'latch E swingsand a shoulder 64 adapted vtol abut the outer face of the plate 62. It will be evideiit'ftliat by providing the shoulderfe the head of the bolt will lbe spaced a predetermineddistance from the plate to permit the free swinging movement of the latch. To properly space the latch from thedoor, a boss 65 through which the bolt 61--eXtends is lprovided on the` inner side of the latch at the pivoted end thereof. At the free end the latch E is provided with a hook portion 66 adapted to coact witlithe pin 44 of the T head 42.

Vthe latter being provided with a head 67 to prevent accidental disengagement of the hook therefrom.

`Assuming the parts iii the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, when itis desired to open the doors the operating' handle lever C is swungl to the left', as viewed .in Figure 1, moving the bar B to the right, the latter positively forcing .the the door 21, sincethebar B has the T head thereof in abutment with the front edge 'of the door 20. The swinging movement of the lever may be continued until limited by .engagement of the gear sector' D with the Aflange 69, as shown in dotted lines in Fignre 4. Vhen the door has been thus partly the latch E may be disengaged from and the doors 20 and 21 Vfully opened by merely pushing the `same in the usual manner. When it is desiredto close opened,

i ing operation.

'door '20 away from.

the doors, closed position, then the door 20 is moved to a position as near the front edge of the door 21 as can be Conveniently done bythe operator without the use of tools. The ybar B is then moved outwardly as far as necesy the latchengaged sary and they hook end of with the pin thereof, afterwhichthe operratorswings the handle downwardly in a contra-clockwise direction, thus positively pulling the doorv 2O to fully closed position. rf

Referring next to the construction of the latch shown in Figures 5 and The latch F shownin these figures is provided with a series of teeth 70 anda hook 71 at, the yfront end thereof. As clearly yshown in these fig- V'ures, the teeth 70 liave'their front edges 73 inclined upwardly and forwardly. In all other respects the latch Fy is similar to the latch E and may be used in place of the latter in the construction illustrated in Fig# ures 1 to i inclusive..` The use of the latch F gives agreater workingrange'of'the rdevice than'the latch E during the Vdoor closthe main. door, the latter may a position with reference to: tlieauiiiliary door so that the hook l71 or any one of the teeth 70 engage with the pin of the sliding bar:

the door l21, is first moved to Then itis desired to close be movedto i sey Assuming that the doorfhas been moved to f a position where the hook 71 engages the pin of the bar, it will be evident that an oscillatingmovement of the operating handle will intermittently pull the latch toward the auxiliary door, due to the ratclieting of the vteeth 70 over the pin, thus pullingrtlie 4main door to closed position. It will also be evidenty that the operation will be the saine if'the main door is so positioned with reference to the auxiliary doorthat any one of the teeth 70 engages the pin. In opening the dooi, the T head on Vthe sliding bar, which is in abutment with the-edge of the door 20, will effect movement of the door in a manner similar to that described in connection `witli Figures 1 to 4, inclu-A sive. n

Referring next to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 7 to'lO,

inclusive, in which the same is shown in` connection with a single door construction, 116 indicates the side wall of a box car,117 a section of the door stop, 118 one of the door postsor iams-the one near the front edge of the door, 119 the inner sheathing of the car and 120 theV sliding door. The

door-120 is of atop-hung type provided with the usuali'oller brackets having roll-` supported at the top of the door opening.' The door 120, as shown, is also provided with the usual protecting angle section 121 at its front edge. v

' The improved,doorfoperating mechanism, as illustrated inFigures 7 to 10, inclusive,

ers riding on tracks f acconnnodate :elle

`lug 135 and the stop ilange upstanding from the bott" the n Wall ol the housing is omitted, operating handle C being limited in its movement in a clockwise direction by en'- gagementwiththc lower edge 132` of the rear u'all 182 oil the housing, movement of the lever in the opposite direction being limited by en gement with the door stop 1li". 'the lug 135 extends rearwardly from the inner sido Wall 130 ot the lunising` and is otiisct laterally toward the car Wall, as clearlyshoun in Figure 8. The housing` A is secured in lined position on the car by a bolt 139 passing through the lug 135 and the Wall 116, and a pair ot short bolts 140 extending throughl the' liront end portion 'oi thc housing` andthe door stop 117. the

or stop being cut away at the rear side to the housing, the door stop being, in turn, bolted to the door jam 118.

The reciprocating bar B is provided with a laterally outwardly projecting` a'rm 1&2 at the iront end thereof, having a portion thereot reduced and extended outwardly beyond the outer tace of the door sto-p providing a pin having an enlarged rounded head 167. The door stop is suitably recessed, as indicated at 14,3, to accommodate the arm 142, so that when the bar is in its extreme retracted position the front end tace oi the arm Will lie ilush vvith the front edge of the door stop and the angle lsection 121 may be brought'into abutment therewith. rlhe bar ll is slidably mounted Within the housingl Af similarly to the bar B, being guided between the side v-:alls 129 and 13G, having its upper edge guided by the top Wall 133, its tront and rear end portions Working in the openings 141 and 14.2, respectively, and its lovver edge guided by the flange 1&3. y

The lower edge ot thepull bar B is also provided Wi th a rack 145 with which co-opcrates a sector gear member E iorined intogral with the operating handle C. The operating handle C le pivotally mounted be tween the walls 129 and 130 upon a pivot pin r14th passing through the Walls and having a rivet head at one end and having the opposite end riveted over to retain itin position. ri`he operating handle C extends'through the open bottom of the housing' A and the lower end portion thereof is oilset, as shown, to space the hand-grip portion ,thereoiI the proper distance from the outer side of the door to give sutlicient clearance for the operators hand.

The latch E and the mounting thereof is in all respects similar to the latch Epreviously described, with the exception that equally elr'ective l pulling` the spacing boss adjacentthe pivot bolt is omitted. VThe latch E is providedk with a hook portion 166 adapt-ed to engage `thel pin on' thereciprocating bar B andfis pivotally mounted on the door 120 by ,the'shouldered bolt 161 passing through one end vportion of hook 171,7the operation thereojlI being ideutical with the latch F previously described.

iflthoughthe mechanismshown in Figures 1 to 9, inclusive, has been illustrated in connection with a double doorconstruction, and the mechanism shown in igures 10 to 12, inclusive, has been illustratedin connection with a single door construction, it will be evident that the former construction is adapted equally Well forV use with single doors and the latter construction is adapted equally Well for use with a double-door construction. j i

It `will beevident, upon reference to the preceding description taken inv connection with the drawings that an exceedingly er"- iective and'simple door opening and closingl mechanism is provided, in which all the parts are at all times clear of the door openingWhenther door is in open position, the latch, which is the only part that swings beyond thedoor opening, being swung downwardly. clear ot the door by the action of gravity when disengaged from the bar B. There will be no parts projecting intothe door opening' to hinder the loading or unloading of the car, thnseliminating the danger of breaking the parts, as will be understood. l

Vilith the arrangement which l have provided, a strong pushing force can easily be obtained to 'force the door open and an force to close the same, even when the door may be badly sagged or distorted, and in this Way I am enabled to eliminate the undesirable use ol crowbars or other tools which have hitherto been found necessary in many instances.

Claim:

1. In a car, the combination with a main door and an auxiliary oppositely sliding door, said doors having their adjacent edges protectedby angl-e sections; a housing ixed to the auxiliary door; reciprocable rack bar mounted Within said housing and extending through the angle section of the door, said bar being provided with a Thead that previously delll) voperate with said having a. laterally extendingy portion projectingbeyond the outerside ot' the door, said T head being` adapted to abut the front edge of the angle section of the main door; a lever operatively connected to said bar for re liprocatingv` the same; and a latch pivotal ly mounted on the main door adapted to coextension of the `T head.

2. In an operating mechanism for relatively slidable door members, sli'dable relatively'to cach other in a common plane; an actuatingl element slidably associated With one ot said door members, saidelemcnt being operable within the plane ot said 'doors and adapted to bear against the edge ot one ot said door members, said actuating element `being,` provided withl projecting means extending;- outside ot' the planeet movement otl apart g said doors; and means secured to said other door member outside ot the plane oi' movement thereof, said means beingfadapted to be detachably engaged `with said, projecting means.

3. In" a door opeiatir'ig mechanism,the

combination with adjacent door members, one ot which is movable relatively to the other; of operating mechanism comprising an actuating -element'mounted upon one of said members andconiinedto limited longitudinal' movement in oppositef directions vwith respect thereto, said'e-lement being ar yranged when moved in one directioiji to abut said other member for 'forcing the members and a second element inovably mounted on the other of said members and adapted to be detachably connected with said iirst element and moved with said first element when the same is moved in the opposite direction for forcing,` said members toward each other; and means for imparting longitudinal movement to said 'irst element-"in opposite directions. i n y 4;. In a door operating mechanism, the combination Withadjacent door members,

one oi which is movable krelatively to the other; ot operating` mechanism comprising' an actuating element mounted upon one ot said members and con fined to limited longi tudinal lmovement with respect thereto in opposite directions, said element being are ranged in the. plane of said other member and adapted to directly abut the same for 'forcing' the members apart, saidelement being,- provided with a projection extendingA to one side of the plane of sai-d other member; a second element mounted on the other 5. In a door operating mechanism, the

combination `with adjacent 'door members,

one ot' which is movable relatively to the other; of operating mechanism comprising an` actuatingelementmounted upon one ot saidmembers and 'adapted for movement in opposite directions, moved in one direction bearingagainst said other member for :forcing said members apart; and a second element mounted on the said member' when:

otherof said members and provided with a plurality spaced means arranged tor detacliableiand adjustable connection with said tir-st element; and means tor imparting,r movement to said lirst element in opposite directions.

V6. In a door operating mechanism, the 'Y combination with adjacent door members,

one ofvfliich is movable relatively tothe other; a khousingl fixed to one ot said membersga reciprocablc rack bai1 mounted Within said housing in the plane ot said other member, said bar. when moved in one direction' being adaptedtoabut the 'liront/edge ot said other member tor forcing thermembersapart, said rack bar being provided with a projection. extending to the outer side 'of the plane oi said other member; a lever pivotally` mounted with respect to saidhousmg and having means tor imparting reciprocation tol said rack bark in opposite vdirecttions; and a latch member pivotally inou'nted Within the forward edge of said other member and arranged to swing in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement ot said vtirst element, said second element being provided with hooked means adapted 'for detachable connectionV with the project-ion on sai-d tirst element for moving said members t'ogether upon movement of said rack bai' in the opposite direction.'

`In witness that I claim the foregoing I" have hereunto subscribed my name this 3() day of July, 1923. i

BARTI-IOLOhfUill/V JULIEN. 

